I have two exciting things to share with you! But first, my apologies for sending this newsletter a bit later than I usual do. I’ve been hard at work and learning a lot!
1. I’m learning to serve you better!
In mid-April, I started a 4-week online course called Book Launch Blueprint. I signed up to learn more about marketing and launching my upcoming novel about the growing up years of the legendary 19th century missionary, Lottie Moon. It’s been an amazing course. I had no idea how much I didn’t know, which is an exciting feeling for those of us who love to learn, right? :)
I’ve worked so hard on this novel for years. I know it’s a good idea, but good ideas need good execution.
I was floored to learn that there are 7,500 hundred Kindle books published on Amazon every day. I want my book to rise to the top of all that noise, and I believe the things I’m learning in this course will help this book reach the nightstands of more people.
I’m learning about building my own author website, how to advertise online, which social media is best for authors to advertise with, how to build an audience by serving and delighting them (you!) with content that adds value to your day and, dare I say, life. I’ve still got a few days of drinking from this firehose of learning, so please pray for me and expect some exciting things in the near future.
2. I’ve written a full manuscript!!!
It’s a draft and hasn’t reached my editor yet (yes, I hired a book editor!), and I know there’s a lot of work ahead, but — I’ve written a full manuscript of a real book. I can’t express how surreal that is to tell you. It’s been a dream ever since I was a little girl. I’m full of gratitude to God who planted the idea for this book in my head 6 years ago and grew it into what it is today.
As I was writing this book, I imagined my main reader as a teen girl who desperately wants adventure and freedom in life but isn’t 100% convinced (or even 50%) that following God is the great adventure in life and his is the way of freedom. I know and hope that other people who are not teen girls will read this book, but that is my target audience.
Since you signed up for this newsletter and expressed interest in the book project, I’d like to invite you to join me in praying for this audience of young girls.
Father in heaven, thank you for the life and legacy of Lottie Moon. Thank you for drawing us rebellious people to repentance from the sin that kept us away from you, and drawing into relationship with you through Jesus. I pray that this book will honor you with its excellence and its impact in people’s lives. I pray that you will use it to draw many people, especially teen girls to yourself. May this story touch their hearts and show them that following you is the greatest adventure in life, and that your way is the way of true freedom. Amen.
Thank you!
In addition to praying for the success of this book project, I’d appreciate your thoughts. I created a short, 4-question survey (not including the question about your name) in Google Forms. It will help me make decisions about what changes to make in this newsletter. If you don’t want to do the survey, feel free to email me your thoughts. I promise to read it!
Those are two of the things going on my life right now. It’s also Mother’s Day season — my second one as a mom. If you’re happy this Mother’s Day, I celebrate with you! If this upcoming Sunday brings feelings of hurt and/or loss, I pray that God comforts you and brings to beautiful things to the front of your memory.
One last YAY for the manuscript!!